Tim Reid addresses filmmakers at the British Film Institute Southbank in London

It certainly feels like an age since I posted here; my apologies. Travel sometimes does that to you. I spent a few days in the UK on my way to Sierra Leone, and as you may know, the internet in Freetown is pretty patchy…. In any case I was invited to a great event by my friend Makeda in London just before I left. It was an event organized by the Black World Cinema Collective and the Legacy Media Institute. Producer, filmmaker and actor Tim Reid, popularly known for his role in the TV series Frank’s Place, was talking extensively about the African Diaspora. Delivering a presentation entitled “Cultural Propaganda for Purpose and Profit,” he asserted that emerging black filmmakers have the advantage of a unique cultural experience in telling their own stories. Reid was at the British « Read the rest of this entry »

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The event was billed as Africa Underground; held on February 18, 2011 it sold out so quickly, to the point where it was rumored that scalpers tried to make a quick buck with their tickets on Craigslist. The organizers knew they had a successful show on their hands, and the video and photos are the proof!. The Afro-Brazilian theme was brought to life with drinks, dancing, partying, and art, featuring Zezeh Brazil Samba, Afrobeat music spun by DJs Adrian Loving and Munch, Brazilian cocktails, and mixed media art from Brazil’s Henrique Oliveira « Read the rest of this entry »

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The closing day of Arise Magazine Fashion Week featured an awards night with a fashion show and two exciting acts, Nigeria’s Mo Cheddah and Britain’s Tinie Tempah, performing in Nigeria for the first time. Tinie ripped up the place with renditions of several of his hits including “Written in the Stars” and “Invincible,” then closed out with his Brit Award-winning smash “Pass Out”. Tinie expressed his joy at coming home to his native Nigeria for the first time in several years, and produced a rousing performance that saw virtually the whole crowd on their feet. South Africans Kluk CGDT won designer of the year, and Tanzanian model Cjika was model of the year. Veteran Nigerian designer Deola Sagoe won the first Lifetime Achievement award. Among the award presenters was Nigerian business mogul Alhaji Aliko Dangote, ranked as the « Read the rest of this entry »

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His most popular track remains one of my favorite records of all time. British Reggae Artist Smiley Culture bolted into the UK Top Twenty Charts with “Police Officer” back in 1984, and by some cruel ironic twist has now been pronounced dead after an incident with British Police. The Independent Police Complaints Commission are proclaiming his passing “death following Police contact,” although the police are saying they believe he stabbed himself after they raided his home in Surrey around 7 am this morning, March 15. Smiley’s real name was David Emmanuel, and his first hit was “Cockney Translation.” You can read this article for more information. Truly a sad loss for all reggae fans, especially followers of British reggae. Bless…

The song that did it for me: "Police Officer"

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As Arise Magazine Fashion Week 2011 strutted toward a finale in Lagos, Nigeria, it became clear that African designers have indeed staked their claim to the top runways of world fashion. And Afrofusion is keeping tabs on those developments. Here’s a brief report on Day 3 from our correspondent on the scene…

Estelle on Stage at AMFW 2011

Grammy Award-winning British singer Estelle brought the curtains down at Day 3 of the Arise Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos, rounding out a day of exciting designs by several African designers. Dressed in a Korto Momolu piece and coming on after Deola Sagoe’s impressive collection which was dedicated to the Japanese people, Estelle rocked the crowd with a rendition of several early recordings, culminating in a rousing performance of her 2008 smash hit, “American Boy.” But the highlight of her performance came when she broke into a version of the popular Nigerian track “Sweet Mother”, which saw several elder members of the audience get up off their seats and get down, some even joining her on stage. Estelle, who has Sierra Leone heritage (last name, Swaray), even paused to show solidarity and take photos with Sierra Leone’s Madam Wokie entourage! As the closing act on the last day, Tinie Tempah reportedly tore up the place! Stay tuned… You can see photos from AMFW day 3 below. Bless…

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In what he expects will seriously challenge your suspension of disbelief, performance artist Doug Fishbone came up with an intriguing ploy. This “white guy from New York” living in London assumed the lead role in the all-black Ghanaian film production of Elmina. It is the latest in a series of art explorations by Fishbone that seek to disrupt viewers’ sense of perception and reality. The film deals with the struggle of local residents in the Ghanaian coastal town of Elmina to hold on to their land, against the wishes of a corrupt chief, when oil is discovered there. Much of Fishbone’s past work fuses humor and satire, in which he places consumers in the awkward position of questioning their own understanding of representation and culture in the media. Well, in this film there is little comedy, except if one considers the insertion of Fishbone as the lone white character amongst an otherwise completely Ghanaian cast in a « Read the rest of this entry »

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On the first anniversary of AFROCUBA, DJ Asho sat down with Afrofusion to talk about how he developed the idea for the event, and how far it has come since the first edition. On Thursday February 10 at Sutra Lounge in Washington, DC’s Adams Morgan neighborhood, the event kicked off with a screening of the classic documentary Cuando Los Espiritus Bailan Mambo (When the Spirits Dance Mambo), by Marta Morena Vega. The night also included a live (and lively), very « Read the rest of this entry »